Turks and Caicos Bambarra Rum
Award Winning Rum Featured in Cocktails and Cuisine in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
The words conjure up images of weaving pirates, large bottles of grog and sailing ships, and their crew three sheets to the wind.
But today the business of making and distributing rum is something to be proud of in the Turks and Caicos Islands because it includes tales of surviving shipwrecks, slaves gaining their freedom and overcoming adversity in a strange new world.
A rum company here in the islands celebrates this history and links past to present through its very name and products. Named after the slaves whose ship wrecked at Middle Caicos in 1841, the Bambarra Rum Company in the Turks & Caicos Islands makes a product that goes to the heart of island identity and economy.
Trouvadore Ship Wreck
The slaves were from the West African Mandé tribe and spoke the Bambarra language. They were captured illegally and boarded the ship Trouvadore bound for Cuba where they were to serve as slave labour on the plantations. By a stroke of fate, the ship wrecked onto the Caicos coral reefs and the survivors landed on Middle Caicos Island, a country where slavery had been banned. These “belongers” as these men and women came to be called in the islands, put down family roots as free people. Today many of the island residents can trace their bloodline to these early pioneers from the Trouvadore shipwreck in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Turks and Caicos Rum
Bambarra Rum brands itself as “the spirit of the Turks and Caicos” which speaks both to the alcohol products it makes and to the pride and perseverance of its island ancestors. Various rums are shipped to Providenciales where the master blenders at Bambarra remove the rum then blend and bottle it in small batches. The process for producing Turks and Caicos Bambarra Rum is all by hand, one barrel at a time.
The rum that arrives to the island has been stored in oak barrels. The alcohol matures and takes on flavours through evaporation, from the essence of the oak and from the location of barrel storage. Producing fine rums takes experience and know-how, and blenders need to have timing and technique. Bambarra craftsman have created products that have been given awards of distinction repeatedly. The Bambarra 8 Year Old Reserve Rum is one example. It was voted best in category several years running at the annual Puerto Rican International Rum Awards.
Where to Find Bambarra Rum
Bambarra Rum is featured at most local bars and restaurants. If you’re a guest at Villa del Mar located in the luxe Grace Bay Beach area of Providenciales, you will enjoy its flavour in the rum punch featured at the Manager’s Reception held at the the Tiki Bar on Wednesdays and Fridays. Visit Somewhere Cafe and Lounge and enjoy an oceanside view and Bambarra Rum drinks such as the Banana Punch, Big Sexy, and Fritz the Cat every day during Happy Hour, or the Bambarra Rum Punch weekly specials on “Sunday Funday” and Friday nights.
Visiting at Christmas time? Pick up a rum cake bursting with Bambarra rum-infused fruit.
And if you are seeking a rum-themed adventure, board the Atabeyra, a retired rum running vessel, with Sun Charters. While skimming the crystal clear Turks and Caicos waters under the warm Caribbean sun, you can sip on some smooth rum punch.
Stop by FOTTAC (Flavours of the Turks and Caicos) store at the Regent Village in Grace Bay and treat yourself to one of the three flavours of Bambarra Rum Cake.
Yo ho ho! You’re invited to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands to explore the history in a unique and delicious way. Come taste the spirit of the island and the rich flavours of its heritage.
